Sunday Observer Online
   

Home

Sunday, 3 April 2011

Untitled-1

observer
 ONLINE


OTHER PUBLICATIONS


OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified
Government Gazette

Runner-up to India in finals:

Sri Lanka finish No. 2 in cricket World Cup

Sri Lanka cricket team finished No. 2 in the world after losing to India by six wickets in the final of the ICC World Cup tournament concluded in Mumbai last night.

It was so much near but yet so far for Sri Lanka which emerged runner-up of an ICC World Cup tournament for the second successive time, after finishing runner-up to India in the 2007 Final played in Barbados.

Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka made a challenging 274 for 6 in 50 overs with Vice Captain Mahela Jayawardene making a blistering century. Sri Lanka was in full command when paceman Lasith Malinga removed both the Indian openers Virendra Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar cheaply with only 31 runs on the board in the seventh over.

But Gautham Gambhir played a brave innings and resurrected the Indian innings, scoring 97 runs off 122 balls before he was bowled by Thisara Perera.

It was too late for Sri Lanka to bounce back by then. Nevertheless, it was a great performance by Sri Lanka to enter two successive Finals in 2007 and 2011 and to finish runners up at the World Cup.

Excitement and joy over the prospect of a World Cup win reached fever pitch in all parts of Sri Lanka yesterday as Sangakkara and his men took to the field at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Although the match was being played in far away Mumbai, one could be forgiven for thinking that the biggest battle in world cricket was taking place in Sri Lanka - such was the enthusiasm of the local cricket fans.

Incidentally, this was the first time that two Asian cricketing nations featured in the final in the tournament’s 36-year history. Both countries had won the Cricket World Cup once - India in 1983 and Sri Lanka in 1996.

Cricket fans in Sri Lanka prepared for the big final from the day that their team, led by Kumar Sangakkara, triumphed over New Zealand in the first semi-final at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium. In the other, India beat arch rivals Pakistan at the PCA Stadium in Mohali, India.

Thousands of fans in Colombo flocked to the Galle Face Green to catch the match on a giant screen. There was a carnival atmosphere at the Galle Face Green, with papare bands in attendance. Screaming fans waved the Lion Flag and applauded every run and wicket taken by the Lankan team. Most of them had the Lion Flag painted on their faces. Similar scenes were witnessed at all other venues in the City where large LED screens had been erected. City hotels reported full bookings at open air facilities which showed the game on giant screens. Several companies had set up large screens in key provincial cities as well. Crowds also thronged electronic shops which had a large number of LCD TVs tuned to the match to catch a glimpse of the action.

A large number of buses, three wheelers and cars throughout the country sported the Lion Flag. Fans also toured Colombo and key provincial cities on trucks adorned with the Lion Flag. The flag fluttered proudly atop houses, shops and commercial establishments as well. Fans throughout the country had also organised impromptu parties, dancing to the merry tunes of papare bands’ Sinhala baila. Total strangers joined in these celebrations in true spirit of the game.

Millions also stayed at home to view the match on television. Viewers in the North, now completely free of LTTE terrorism were also able to catch the action for the first time as national broadcaster Rupavahini had activated the Kokavil transmission tower.

Reports from the Middle East, Europe, Australia and the Americas where a large number of Lankan expatriates said that most of them were watching the match via Satellite TV and online.

Total television viewership around the world for the match was nearly two billion, with the telecast reaching 190 countries.

 

EMAIL |   PRINTABLE VIEW | FEEDBACK

www.lanka.info
www.apiwenuwenapi.co.uk
LANKAPUVATH - National News Agency of Sri Lanka
Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL)
www.army.lk
www.news.lk
www.defence.lk
Donate Now | defence.lk
 

| News | Editorial | Finance | Features | Political | Security | Sports | Spectrum | Montage | Impact | World | Obituaries | Junior | Magazine |

 
 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2011 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Editor